The Big Four: Radioactive
by LovelyFandomLife
Summary: A RotBTD (Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons) fic inspired by and loosely based on the MEP video series found on oOZewyOo's channel on YouTube. The big four all live in the same universe and when evil forces invade their lands, they are called together by a greater force to defend them. But can they manage to work together to defeat the darkness before they're consumed by it?
1. The Prophecy

**The Prophecy:**

A once great land,  
now desperate and torn;  
Infected with evil  
and malice, frequently born.

In this dark time  
and destructive age,  
Legend will call on the protectors,  
chosen by the sage.

Called to guard the light  
and protect the people  
From the sadism of the land  
and the devastation of evil.

These four heroes,  
though their histories tragic,  
Will answer the call bravely  
and fight against this evil magic.

The Fiery Ember:  
Always defending the weakling,  
brimming with courage and bravery,  
but rash without thinking.

The Strong Emerald:  
With a wit that cannot cease,  
and centered on a heart of loyalty,  
is easily blinded by hopeless grief.

The Glowing Golden One:  
Overflowing with hope shinning bright,  
equipped with helpful hand a caring heart,  
is filled with ignorance as deep as night.

And the Icy Crystal:  
Proving in the end to be true at heart,  
is known to be playful with mischief,  
and has an anger quick to start.

These four, found in youth,  
are to be trained to fight,  
Guided by the light of the moon,  
and taught by the believers of light.

Called to action by the people,  
they will hold strong in their stance;  
The Big Four will be the countries'  
Last Chance.

They will abolish the darkness,  
with their light blazing bright.  
But they must learn to work together,  
with their bond and unity held tight.

Otherwise, there will be unrest,  
they will fall into chaos,  
Their ties will disintegrate,  
and all will be lost.


	2. Prologue

**Prologue**

I was nine. And I remember sneaking out of bed on one very special night. I remember my hair trailing behind me as I snuck down the stairs after bed-time. I paused by Mother's room to make sure she was asleep before I tip-toed past and continued on through the kitchen and into the living room. As I walked across the room towards the large double door window on the other side, excitement hummed in my chest, accompanied by a flutter of fear.

Not that I'd never snuck out of bed before, I had been doing it for as long as I can remember. No, it wasn't first time jitters, it was the ever present fear of being caught. Mother didn't like me disobeying her, and she _had_ said that I was not allowed out of bed after dark. Mother got scary when she was mad. Once, she caught me trying to sneak outside to play, even though I knew I wasn't allowed. She locked me in a cupboard for two days with no food. I'd hate to think what she would've done if she found I crept out of bed that night. But it was worth risking it. A birthday only comes once a year, right?

When I reached the big window, I managed to push open the two heavy doors keeping out the night air, revealing the night sky scattered with stars. I rested my arms on the windowsill to cradle my head as a waited for what I knew was coming. I sat there all night, waiting. Staring out at the night illuminated by the moon. It wasn't until the moon had disappeared and the sky started to lighten, that I realized. Crushing disappointment filled my heart as I ran back to my room before Mother woke up. I threw myself onto my bed and cried silently until she came to get me for breakfast. She never even knew that I had been crying. She never knew that I had gotten out of bed. She never knew what had happened that night.

She never knew that that was the year the lights stopped filling the night sky on my birthday.

* * *

It had been a year since I had met Toothless and completely changed the way of living on my island. After I showed everyone that dragons were not what we thought, the people of my tribe began to accept them and take them on as pets and friends, like me and Toothless. It was after everyone had finally accepted the idea that dragons were our friends that the trouble started.

We first noticed it when the dragons of the village began to get irritable. They would snap at people and other dragons and started to, once again, eat the livestock off the farmers' land. The rumor is that serious trouble started with an argument. Then argument was between a farmer and a dragon owner, the farmer claiming the dragon had eaten his sheep. The discussion became heated and turned into a shouting match. It's said the commotion irritated an near by Monstrous Nightmare. The dragon snapped, burning the farmer and biting the dragon owner.

After that, people were scared, but most were willing to believe it was just one rogue dragon. That is, until a Gronckle killed its owner's neighbor. People were even more scared at this point. Some even called to have the dragons banished from the island. But dragons were our friends by that point. They had merged with the island as pets, helpers, family members. Our viking blood wouldn't allow us abandon our dragons that easily.

But the attacks increased in frequency and brutality until people became truly terrified and started killing their dragons for fear that they'd kill them first. Dragons were turning on owners and owners on dragons. It was as if something had infected the village, affecting the dragons and the people. Eventually, the weekly night raids of dragons returned and all hopes of trusting our scaly friends again had vanished. Then the people started turning on each other, blaming one another for whatever had happened to the dragons. Hate and fear stirred throughout my tribe as we fought our age old enemy again, as well as a new foe, ourselves.

We were in chaos, my tribe was falling apart, and guess who was caught in the middle of it all?

* * *

All I remember was war. There was fighting everywhere. Soon after my mum and I had mended our bond, a larger one was broken. The ever fragile alliance between the clans had finally dissolved. No one's quite sure how it happened. Some say it was a struggle for power amongst the clan leaders to overthrow my dah'd as king. Others say it was the escalation in property disputes and trade disagreements that fanned the flame of long lasting rivalries. There is one rumor, the one I believe, that it was fear. Fear from the still present threat of northern invaders. Fear spurred on by the increase of bear attacks. Fear that the king was going to snuff out the other clans with his power. The fear that accumulates until it's unreasonable. Until it turns into confusion and panic. The fear that causes you to lash out at your allies and friends. The kind of fear that starts a war.

After the first clans attacked each other, it spread to the others and soon, everyone was fighting. No one was quite sure what they were fighting for, but their fear and hate towards each other was enough to spur them on.

I remember one specific night, soon after I had turned fourteen. I awoke in the middle of the night to the castle on fire. I remember the shouts of men and the clanging of steel that was sword on sword. I remember being confused and frightened when my mum came rushing into my room, telling me to gather my things. We then crept our way through the castle, avoiding fire and sword.

The fire was everywhere, illuminating the invaders and allies as they attacked each other with the savagery of bears, yelling and cursing. The thing that really frightened me, though, wasn't the men or the flames. It was the shadows. Not the normal shadows that danced from the light of the fires, but the ones that seamed to sweep through the castle without a source or cause. Shadows that moved on their own. They looked alive. Large horse-like shadows that seamed to rise up from the walls and leap at you from the darkness. And I could've sworn some had glowing yellow eyes.

We managed to flee the castle, leaving my dah'd and my brothers behind. My mum said it was safer leaving them there than having them come with us. She said the people who attacked the castle weren't after the king. She said the invaders would leave as soon as we did. That I shouldn't worry about my dah'd and brothers because they'd be fine. As we rode away, I looked back at the castle. The sight of the mighty DunBroch castle, overtaken by an inferno, struck fear into my heart. It was a fear I never want to feel again. A fear of what would happen next, of what would become of me and my clan.

Because the reason my home was attacked, the person the intruders were after, was me.

* * *

Darkness...That's the first thing I remember. It was dark and it was cold and I was scared. But then, when I rose through a thick layer of ice into the night air, then I saw the moon. It was so _big_ and it was so _bright_. It seamed to chase the darkness away. And when it did, I wasn't scared anymore. Why I was there and what I was meant to do, that I'd never know. And a part of me wonders if I ever will.

I remember landing on the ice again, bracing for the cold sting on my bare feet, only to feel nothing. As if I was standing on summer grass instead of a frozen over pond. I looked to the moon, as the whisper of a name came on a winter breeze. As I looked up to the moon, I felt something deep in my chest. A sense of belonging or purpose, as if the moon was looking back at me, into my mind and soul, telling me that everything was alright. The feeling soon faded, and I was left on my own.

I remember looking at my hands to find them pale as death. My clothes were coarse and crude with brown pants torn off and bound with cords above the ankle. My shirt was loose and cream colored with an opened leather vest layered over it. My brown short cloak was lined with a layer of frost. I looked around at my surroundings to find I was on a lake, in the middle of a forest, bare with winter. As I moved to explore the area, my foot hit something. A staff with a crooked curve at the end was laying on the ice next to me. I picked it up, curiously, wondering what it was doing there. When it slipped from my hands, it sent a crystal lattice of frost across the ice in a beautiful pattern.

I picked it up again and tentatively brought it over to a tree near by. I tapped its trunk with the staff, to have the same thing happen again. I looked in wonder as the lace-work of frost spread across the bark. Laughter escaped from my chest as I realized what the staff could do. I ran back out to the lake, spinning the staff around me. The joy bubbling up in my chest and escaping in laughter as I spread the frost across the ice, enjoying the fun of it.

Then, I was suddenly carried into the air by a gust of wind. I had just enough time to look down at the frost I had created on the lake and trees before I fell. I crashed through a few tree branches before managed to land on a branch thick enough to hold me and gripped it tight with my arms and legs. Shock gave way to exhilaration as I let out a chuckle. I noticed a collection of lights in the distance. Other people! Maybe they could tell me where I was and help me figure out what was going on. I let the wind carry me towards the lights to investigate.

What I don't remember, though, as I flew away from the pond, was a pair of dark yellow eyes, watching me from the shadows of the forest.


	3. Ch 1: Finding the Lost Princess

**Chapter 1: Finding the Lost Princess**

Two hooded figures swept through the forest, cloaked in the darkness provided by the night. One was solid, large in stature, but still relatively agile for their size. The second figure, thin and willowy, matched the other's stride with an elegant grace. The second's height was tall, though not near the towering intimidation put forth by the first figure. They glided over branches, twigs, and leaves, determined in their stride. Both moved through the forest without a word, though they moved in unison, as if guided by an unseen force. In the distance, a bright ray of light from the full moon touched the earth.

By cautious maneuvering and careful navigation, the pair finally found a veil of vines, hidden deep in the forest residing near the Kingdom of Corona. Stepping through the vegetation, the two continued down a tunnel, the other side opening up to a breathtaking sight. It was a large clearing, closed in completely by rock walls that reached fifty to sixty feet in height. The space was carpeted by soft, healthy grass that must've glowed a beautiful emerald in the daylight. The land was dotted with delicate flowers, a few saplings, and other vegetations of bushes and brush. A small pond, filled with other floating life-forms, rested patiently in a corner of the enclosure, almost seaming to have been awaiting the travelers' arrival. The two, awed by the sight before them, had never seen the clearing before, and were, in fact, not welcome there.

In the center of the walled in space, illuminated by the full moon, stood a massive white-stoned tower, almost glistening in the majestic light the moon cast upon it. A beanstalk in stature, the tower was as thin as it was tall, stretching towards the tops of the stone walls, as if it was trying to climb towards escape. It was capped with a circular structure assumed to hold a living space, reminiscent of a treehouse perched atop a tree. The upper part had multiple small windows dotting its outside and a tall purple cone of a roof. Really, the structure would have been almost comical had it not been for the intimidating defensive merlon battlements circling the main upper hub. There were multiple signs of witchcraft dotting the tower's stem, as well as scattered throughout the clearing. This, accompanied by the dark ivy crawling up the tower, a sign the structure had been there for years, gave the whole scene a sense of foreboding and warning.

The two intruders glanced at each other, encouraged by the light of the full moon, before continuing towards the tower. The graceful figure went first, countering the enchantments and spells blocking their path, the broad one following close behind. When the pair had reached the fortress in the middle of the clearing, they circled it, looking for an entrance. After discovering none such entrance existed at the base, the larger figure stepped forward, drawing two twin swords with sturdy gold hilts and wickedly curved blades. The swords were used as crampons of a sort (devices used by climbers to scale large mountains), being shoved in between the cracks and spaces of the stone, to scale the walls of the tower. The first traveler carried the other one on their back as they climbed towards the top of the tower, the second still warding off the protective magic.

The pair reached the top and climbed in the largest window to find a large circular room, filled with odds and ends, such as books, dressers, tables, rugs, and the like. The inside walls of the room were engulfed in swirling pictures and painted patterns of beautiful color. Navigating through the structure, the two finally found what they had came for. A bed lay in the midst of a room accompanied by a dresser, books, and vanity table. A ray of light, cast by the full moon, shone through the window into the room, casting an illuminating spotlight on the bed to reveal a small, sleeping figure. The intruders crept forward for a better look and found that it was a girl. She looked peaceful in her sleep, with a gentle, pretty face, fit for a princess. Her hair was a golden blonde, the ends disappearing beneath her covers. She looked about fifteen years of age.

As the larger figure approached the bed, their bulk cast a shadow across the child. As the figure crept forward, they lowered their hood to reveal a man, his snowy white hair and long beard framed a square face. His black eyebrows a sharp contrast to his hair, giving him a constantly stern look. His cheeks and nose were flushed, and he had sparkling, bright blue eyes. The massive figure leaned towards the bed and in a low, rough Russian accent whispered, "Princess."

The girl's eyes snapped open, revealing their color to be a bright green. After seeing the intruders in her room, she bolted upright in her bed, breathing fast.

"Wh-Who are you? What do you want?" she asked, her panic raising her voice an octave higher in her whisper.

"We are here to take you away," the man replied in a forbidding tone.

The girl's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates in her terror as she took in a breath to scream.

Just then the second, willowy figure darted forward around the large man. Their hood fell to reveal a beautiful woman. She was old enough to show worry lines in her forehead and laugh lines surrounding her mouth, and to have grey streaks winding through her hair brown hair, which disappeared beneath the collar of her cloak. Her comforting brown eyes showed a kindness as she rushed forward.

"Shhhh-shhh-shhhh," she whispered to the child as she sat on the edge of her bed and put a hand out to the child's mouth to keep her quiet. "We are not her to hurt you, lassie," she whispered kindly, an elegant scottish accent saturating her voice. "And we won't take you with us if you don't want us to. What's your name, deary?" She gave a reassuring smile before removing her hand to let the child speak.

"R-Rapunzel," the girl said, barely loud enough to hear.

"Oh, now that's a nice name. I am Elinor, and this here is my friend, Nick. He's not so scary, normally."

"S-so you're not here to take me away?" the little girl asked timidly, eyes still wide with fear.

"No, not to take you away, but to tell you something. Something very important. You don't belong here."

"What do you mean?" the girl's curiosity was starting to overcome her worry.

"You are not from this place. And the woman keeping you in this tower, is not your mother. She took you away from your real a long time ago. You come from a kingdom, not far from here, where you are a princess. Your parents searched for you for years before-" the woman stopped herself there, not knowing how to continue further.

The girl gave the woman and her man-friend a disapproving glower.

"You're lying. Mother said the world was filled with liars, and ruffians, and thugs, just like you. Mother loves me and would never do something like that. I don't believe you."

Concern creased woman's forehead before she continued, "Lassie, I know this is hard to believe. But, have you ever wondered about your father. Has your mother ever told you about him?"

"N-No," the girl said, confusion crossing her face. "She never said, I just assumed..." she trailed off.

"Deary, can we show you something?" The woman asked glancing at the man named Nick. "Take you outside the tower to a place, to show you the truth? After that, you can choose to believe us or not. If you decide we're still lying, we'll take you back here and leave you bee."

"How will I know you won't just take me with you when we leave. That you won't just kidnap me anyways?" Rapunzel asked with a cautious disbelief.

The woman's face turned gravely serious, "I give you a DunBroch queen's promise that no such act of treachery will befall you tonight, princess. We will protect you with our lives. My kingdom may have fallen, but I am still a queen, and when a queen gives her word," she continued with a dubious look from Rapunzel, "she never _ever _breaks that promise. _Ever._"

Rapunzel considered the two strangers in her room. She still had reservations about them and was contemplating her options. If she said no, who was to say they wouldn't just take her anyways? However, if they were to be trusted and she went with them, what kind of truths would she find outside her tower walls? The thought of Mother finding out about her leaving the tower was a terrifying prospect all on its own. But, then again, what if these strangers were telling the truth, and Mother wasn't really her mother after all? The thought of doubt settled in her heart, and she knew she could never see her mother the same way without knowing for sure. In addition, something in this strange woman's eyes held a kindness and honesty that Rapunzel felt, in her heart, she could trust.

"Where are we going?"

* * *

Rapunzel and her companions- _Could she call them that?_- left the tower, their way barely illuminated by a now crescent moon. The three rushed through the forest, Rapunzel in her own cloak, supplied to her by the strangers. Pascal, her chameleon, was cradled in the nook of her shoulder as she tried her best to keep up with the fast moving figures in front of her. They soon came to the edge of the forest to find a massive red sleigh. It had four large steel runners and a console of odds and ends that must've glowed and spun at one point, but where dead now. Attached to the sleigh were two enormous creatures Rapunzel had never seen or read about before. They looked like large furry horses, but with snub tails and gigantic antlers.

The three climbed into the contraption and with a call from Nick,

"On Dasher, on Comet!" they surged forward over hills and brush.

Eventually, they come to a large expanse of water with a bridge leading across it to an island. The island was filled with tiny houses and buildings and topped with a beautiful castle on its center hill. Rapunzel stared in wonder at the kingdom before her as they crossed the bridge on foot, leaving the sleigh on land. As they entered the gates, though, she realized the kingdom was not near as beautiful up close as it was from afar. The houses and shops were dilapidated and the streets were lined with muck and trash. Everything was dark and grimy. Even the people, the few who were out and huddled around bins filled with fire.

Rapunzel clung to her two travel companions as they wondered through the streets. Surely, this was a place of ruffians and thugs if there ever was one. They avoided eye contact as they moved through the more dangerous parts of the city. As they neared the castle at the center, the atmosphere lightened slightly. There were no more trash bin fires and the houses were in better repair. The two guided Rapunzel into a dark ally and through a hidden door at the end. Through the door, they came into a smoke filled bar, dimly lit by lanterns in the corners and a fire place in one of the walls. Though a bartender was behind the bar on the far wall, the few people present that were huddled around small tables had no drinks in their hands.

The hushed conversation that had filled the room came to a complete stop when the three entered the pub and all eyes turned towards the door. When Rapunzel's companions lowered their hoods, a whisper went through the room.

"Is that...?"

"Can't be..."

"It's Nick!"

"And Elinor!"

"...but what are they doing here?"

"Yes, yes, comrades. It is us, from home base. And vee are here on very special trip." Rapunzel stared in awe as Nick's booming voice immediately quieted the whole room. Everyone's eyes were attentively fixed on the large man. "Now, vee are here to tell the history of this land to this little mouse," he gestured to the confused Rapunzel by his side. _Mouse?! _"To tell her zee truth and, hopefully, make her one of us..." Nick finished ominously._ Wait a minute...'one of us'?_ _Just who are these people anyways? _Rapunzel thought frantically as all eyes turned to the small girl by Nick's side. Her eyes grew big and she shrunk behind the bulk of Nick, trying to put distance between herself and the people of the pub.

"Is she one of them?" someone called out from the back.

"Vee cannot say for sure at zee moment," Nick replied, dodging the question.

"Well what do you mean by that?" another voice called out.

"Yeah, shouldn't the Man in the Moon have told you?" this shout came from a man with a hook for a hand sitting at a table near the front.

"Or is he just a lie?" yet another person called out. The result was a gasp from the rest of the room. "Think about it," the voice continued, its owner stepping forward to reveal a boy, just a boy. He was about Rapunzel's age, but his face was distorted by deep scars, his right arm missing and left leg replaced by a wooden stick. "We have heard nothing from that so called 'Man in the Moon' for ages. How do we know he's even still real?"

An agreeing murmur started throughout the room as the boy continued, "How do we know that you don't just have us chasing our tales? That you have any plan at all for that witch on the throne?!" At this point, the murmuring had escalated to a loud chatter, some shouting for Nick's response.

"That is enough!" Elinor stepped forward, cutting off whatever response Nick was about to make, as well as the commotion coming from the crowd. "The business we have with the Man in the Moon is between ourselves and him. The desire to keep this information secret is justified and necessary. And that means only those of us who have the knowledge and ability to use this information effectively are not privy to it, Eugene," she said with a sharp glance at the boy.

The boy who was apparently Eugene gave her a glare before reluctantly moving to sit down. "We are cautious in identifying this girl as one of the ones you speak of, since we have had many false starts before now. Communication with the Man in the Moon is becoming more and more difficult, due to the rising power of the evil that is on our doorstep. Now, your leaders have asked for your help. Will you assist us? Or will you remain here to sit in your own squaller as you watch your home fall around you?"

Rapunzel was shocked by the forcefulness of the woman beside her, as if she was used to commanding people. After a stunned moment, a disgruntled sound of agreement went through the crowd.

Rapunzel thought of what Elinor had just said. _'Will you assist us?' _All Nick had asked for was a retelling of this country's history. Surely a simple story of the kingdom's history wouldn't evoke such a response from these people, wouldn't require such assistance. She had a suspicion that her companions had something else in mind when they brought her here. Something dangerous.

Nick and Elinor walked Rapunzel forward to a table off to the side near the fireplace, where a bulky figure cloaked in dark blue sat alone. When the three sat down to the table, the figure looked up, revealing a man that had only one eye, glowing pale in the dimness of the pub. A long vertical scar on the left side of his face caught the light of the fire as he leaned forward. His smile was cruel as he said in a gravely voice, "Nick, Elinor. Long time, no see."

"Hello, Mr. Stabbington," Elinor began.

"Please, call me John," the man insisted with a smile before letting his glare land on Repunzel, who shrunk away from his gaze. Elinor seemed uncomfortable, as if she was reluctant to talk this man.

"Enough with pleasantries," Nick interjected leaning forward on the table with his large arms, "Now, vee get down to tacks of brass."

The man called John leaned back a bit at this, apparently now wiry of the large man's presence.

"Tell what you know of history of Corona."

"Well, you already know that, now don't you, _St. _Nicholas," the man replied with contempt. The emphasis on St. was said in a mocking tone that showed no respect for the man at Rapunzel's side.

"Tell for mouse," he said, gesturing to Rapunzel once more with, _there it is again, that word_, mouse. "She needs to know."

"And why should I?" the man countered with a sneer towards the girl.

"Because you know tail best and it is very important she knows and believes," and with that, Nick leaned forward and whispered to the one-eyed man, "She has something very special inside."

The man's remaining eye widened with awe as he looked to the girl, "So she _is _one of them."

Nick's stern glare was his only response, which must've been enough for John with the one eye, because he started his story with a tone that said it was well rehearsed.

"Fifteen years ago, the queen and king of the Kingdom of Corona were about to have a baby. Suddenly, the queen grew sick, and none of the royal doctors could heal her. The people of the kingdom traveled far and wide, looking for anything to save the queen and her child. They were looking for a miracle. They finally managed to find what they were looking for. A flower. One that had grown from a single drop of sunlight that had fallen to earth many years before. They took the flower and, with its powers, managed to heal the queen. Apparently, it did the trick. The queen was well, and a healthy baby girl with shining golden hair was born. To celebrate, the kingdom let fly thousands of floating lanterns into the night sky."

At this, Rapunzel looked up. _Floating lanterns?_

"What the kingdom didn't know, was that along with this miracle child, the flower brought a curse. The flower had been found years before by an old witch. This witch had searched for years, trying to find a source for eternal youth. Her search was in vain, until she found the flower. This sunlight flower could give her youth, and all she had to do was sing a song. By this, she managed to stay young for hundreds of years.

"When she found the flower was taken, she was furious. She flew to the palace to find the healthy queen and her baby girl, all results of _her_ flower. The witch crept into the child's room, late one night, to find the powers of her flower instilled in the hair of the girl. With a song, the girl's hair could make her young once more. And in that night, the witch and the newborn princess vanished.

"The entire kingdom searched years for the princess, but to no avail. Every year after that they would release a thousand glowing lanterns into the sky on the princess's birthday, hoping to help her find her way home. But it was no use.

"The years went by. My brother and I, raised on stories of the lost princess, often set out on adventures to look for her. We would tell each other stories of how the kingdom would react if two orphaned boys brought back the lost daughter of the queen. How we would be welcomed and how crowds would cheer for us. But, then, we grew up. The orphanage kicked us out into the big bad world. With no means to survive, we started stealing. We became outlaws and bandits. Thieves, yes, but never killers. And then one day, nine years after the disappearance of the princess, we were approached in the woods by a woman with frizzy black hair. By a witch.

"We didn't know she was a witch at the time. We didn't know that she was the original finder of the flower that had saved the queen. We didn't know she was vengeful and still fueled by hate at having her flower taken from her. We didn't know she had lived for hundreds of years and all that time had fueled a drive for power in her. We just knew she had an offer that we couldn't refuse.

"She told us that we could have riches beyond our wildest dreams. She promised us the riches of the crown, of the royal family. But only if we helped her. She told us of a plan to infiltrate the royal castle and steal the riches. We were only in it for the money. She, on the other hand, was after something else.

"When the time came for our plan to steal the royal jewels came, we fulfilled our part of the deal. The three of us managed to get past the guards and into the castle. My brother and I found the royal vault, while the woman left us to find something else. When we were done, the two of us went to find her so we could leave. What we found, though, was beyond anything we were prepared for.

"We found her in the king and queens bedroom. And there were the king and queen, lying dead in their bed."

Rapunzel let out a gasp of horror and turned to bury her face into Elinor's shoulder, a comforting arm reaching around her.

"There was blood everywhere and she was just standing there, laughing. As if it were all just some big joke.

'What have you done?' My brother asked as we looked at the mess before us.

'What have I done?' She said, mocking. 'Look around you! I think the question here, boys, is what have you done?' And with that, she vanished, dropping her dagger and leaving us in a pool of royal blood. Her terrible laughter was still echoing in our heads when the guards came rushing into the room. We were arrested and to be hanged the next day for the murder of the king and queen of Corona.

"And we would've, too, if that witch hadn't returned. We were lead out to the gallows and stood there, awaiting our fate with a necklace of rope around each of our necks. The entire kingdom was there, it seamed, to see the murderers of the royal family hanged. To watch us die. As we waited for the boards to drop from under our feet, something impossible happened. The sun suddenly vanished. The bright day turned dark with shadows. A laughter came ringing through the town square. A laughter we had heard the night before. A cold, dark, crazed laughter that sinks into your very bones and freezes your blood cold. The sound of it surrounded us and filled the square. It wound its way through the streets and shops until it filled the city as well.

"And then it came. A wave of shadows. Shadows like I'd never seen before, just spilling into the square. They seamed to have weight, to have form. As if they weren't just shadows, but living things. And then, they _were_ living things. Creatures I'd only seen in nightmares tore through the kingdom, destroying everything. And then, there she was. The woman. The witch. The true murderer. She appeared in the middle of the town square, towering above us on a cloud of black smoke. Her voice boomed over the entire city, resonating throughout the streets and houses.

"'Your king and queen are dead. You are left without a ruler, without an heir. You need someone to step forward and take their place. I, out of the kindness of my heart, have volunteered to do so. I will be your new queen, king, ruler, council, and parliament. Anyone who wishes to denounce this, will be dealt with appropriately.' And with that, she came down to the town square to watch the chaos before her unfold. My brother and I had realized that this was our chance to escape and were running to the far end of the square, when we were stopped by a guard.

It didn't look like a normal guard, though. His eyes, they were empty, like there was no one home. Like he was under some sort of spell. I managed to side step him and run down an alley. I thought my brother had followed, but when I turned around, he wasn't there. I crept back to the square to find my brother. He had been dragged to the center of the square and was held by ten guards, all with dead eyes like the one before.

"'Well, well, well,' I heard a voice from across the square. 'What do we have here? A walking dead man, it looks to me. Looks like my timing was off, after all.' It was the witch from before. She came towards my brother with a dagger. I could do nothing but watch as that witch killed him. After that, I went into hiding. I was sleeping in hovels and living in the woods until I found the Order.

"The new self-imposed queen has ruled over Corona for years with no one to oppose her. Her mind-controlled guards and shadows of fear keep all the people of the kingdom under her command. She banned the release of lanterns on the lost princess's birthday anymore, a crime now punishable by death. We've been living in ruin and fear ever sense, with taxes and her relentless rule keeping us in misery. The only hope we have is for the lost princess to return and take the throne from the queen and save us from her rule. To save us from Mother Gothel."

At this last sentence, Rapunzel gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. She stood up abruptly, knocking her chair over, and ran out of the pub, back into the ally. She was quickly followed by Nick and Elinor.

"Lassie, I kn-"

"He's lying!" Rapunzel cut off the once-queen mid-sentence. "He's your friend. You know him. He's just saying what you told him to! He's lying. Mother would never do those things!" Rapunzel screamed in the ally, her vision blurring as tears threatened to spill down her cheeks.

"Listen," Elinor tried to catch the girl's attention and managed to grab her shoulders before she jerked away.

"No!" Rapunzel screamed. "I don't want to hear anything you have to say! It's just more lies," she dissolved into incomprehensible sobbing as she curled up on the ground of the dirty ally, facing the graffitied wall. Elinor approached the girl cautiously and squatted next to her. She hesitantly wrapped a comforting arm around the girl, letting the blonde girl lean into her shoulder.

"Shhh, shhhh," the queen whispered quietly. "I know it's hard to hear, lassie. I know." the older woman consoled, patting the girl's head, " And I know you don't want to listen to us anymore. So we'll stop talking, eh? Just let us show you one more thing before you decide to go back to your tower. All right?"

"I-I don't w-want to," Rapunzel managed between her crying.

"I know. But you need to know. If you don't, then you'll always be wondering if we were right. You'll always be doubtful, and you'll never know for sure. Just a small trip, lassie. Can you manage that?"

Rapunzel knew she was right. She couldn't un-hear what that man had said. She would always have doubt in her heart if she didn't find out for sure right now. Resigned, Rapunzel gave a small nod. She allowed herself to be stood up by Elinor and be guided back inside the pub. Once there, Nick clapped his hands, the echo silencing the pub once more.

"Pack, up," he called to all assembled. "Tonight, vee visit palace!"

* * *

The small ensemble, consisting mostly of ruffians and outlaws, by law of the new queen, a large, white-haired man, an ex-queen, and a small teenage girl, crept through the streets of Corona, leading to the large castle in the city's center. Once there, the collective of ruffians and thugs managed to overtake a hand full of zombie-guards near a hidden entrance. A smaller collective broke off from the larger group to navigate inside the castle easier as the rest were left to keep look out. The infiltrators navigated their way through the labyrinth of corridors and passageways, overpowering the occasional guard on duty, when necessary.

Eventually, the group reached the heart of the castle. Rapunzel saw large oak double doors looming before her as they approached the throne room. As they got closer, however, she also saw a squad of four guards, standing erect, protecting the doors from invaders. Rapunzel managed to register that these guards, just as the ones them came across earlier, had glazed over eyes and empty expressions that were rather erie, before they vanished. The guards were grabbed from behind and knocked out before they knew what hit them. The group of intruders crept forward towards the doors. But, instead of going through them, like Rapunzel had expected, she was steered to the right and lead through a small side door, followed only by Nick and Elinor.

Emerging from the entry way, Rapunzel found herself behind a tapestry. She cautiously peeked around the edge to discover the scene of an immense throne room. The ceiling arched unbelievably high. The walls were painted a bright purple and embossed with patterns of glittering golden suns. The room was lavishly decorated with statues, silks, and other luxuries. Gigantic pillars, elaborately carved, stood in rows, holding up the dizzying high ceiling. On the far side of the room, to the right of where Rapunzel and co. stood in the shadows of the enormous columns, was the royal throne. Most if it was blocked from view by the great pillars in her way, but Rapunzel could see enough to know that it was delicately carved from gold, studded with precious jewels, and perched atop a pedestal with stairs leading up to the figure sitting in the throne, the face of whom was obscured. Spreading out to the left and right of the throne, looked to be a crowd consisting of the Queen's court. Rapunzel could see the fringes of another crowd in front of the throne from around her pillar. This crowd seamed to be composed of towns people, bringing forth requests for the queen.

Huddling behind one of the large pillars near the middle of the wall to the left of the throne, the three intruders could clearly hear the conversation taking place.

"Your highness, we have complaints from the Southern sector of not enough food. They say most families there cannot feed their children," a timid voice came from the direction of the monument to royalty on the far end of the room.

"Your majesty, there are reports of diseased livestock from the North-West region. Their cattle are dying at an increased pace. At this rate, they won't have any supplies for winter," another voice, official and drawling came from the came direction.

And yet another one pipped up, "My queen, we've gotten tips from inside sources concerning the whereabouts of the Celestial Order's main base and some of her smaller branches being located in Bulgaria."

At this, Nick gave a low chuckle. "That would be Sandy's doing."

Suddenly, a voice erupted from the direction of the throne, "ENUOGH!"

Rapunzel couldn't help a sharp intake of air as she recognized the voice.

"I have had enough with these mewling quims and their complaining. Always asking for more! Tell those in the South and North-West they will receive no help until they offer up any and all those opposed to the crown. Concerning the Order, send troops to see if these rumors are true. If they are, report to me immediately," the voice ordered, cruel an unrelenting. "Now, leave me, footmen."

A murmur rose up from the collection of people around the throne as a group of five or so footmen scuttled past Rapunzel and friends' hiding place.

"Oh, shut up, the lot of you!" the cruel voice came again, addressing the crowd. "Unless you bring me gifts, I have no ear for you today. Leave!"

A procession of the peasants and members of the royal court began moving towards the large doors on the other end of the throne room. As the crowd passed her hiding place, Rapunzel chanced a peak at the so-called queen.

And there she was. Mother Gothel. Lounging on her throne of lies, youthful as ever. Her hooded grey eyes showed nothing but contempt for the people before her. A crown sat upon her head of black curls. Something snapped in Rapunzel at the sight of her mother- _No, that was all a lie_- on that throne. Everything clicked into place as Rapunzel realized everything she had been told by these two strangers behind her and the man in the pub was true. Memories came flooding into her head, all at once.

Being locked in a room, all by herself, crying. She was so hungry.

Mother Gothel cradling her face with her hands as she whispered, "I love you most."

Mother Gothel, brushing her hair, singing their song as her hair began to glow.

Lying on the floor of her room, sobbing about a boy, while Mother Gothel screamed at her to stop.

A crib- her crib- with a golden sun painted on the mobile above her. Two blurred faces of a man and woman, leaning over her.

Mother Gothel grabbing her and throwing her to the floor in a fit of rage.

Her, looking out at the night sky, waiting for the floating lights.

Rapunzel felt her back straighten as she took a step forward from behind the pillar. There would be no crying now. No pleading or sobbing. It was as if Rapunzel was possessed by an outside force as she walked forward with deliberate steps. She didn't have space in her head to think, no time to consider the consequences. She felt a burning in her chest, a roiling in her stomach, and a fire roaring in her head. This was a new feeling, something she didn't recognize. This was anger. A justified fury raged in Rapunzel was she came to the center of the room.

"So this is who you really are, Mother? Or should I even call you that?" Rapunzel called towards the throne. The crowd halted in their exit, turning to look at this opposer to the queen. Gothel straightened in her throne, eyes alert to this new challenge.

"And just who do you think you are?" she asked the cloaked figure in front of her.

"Don't you recognize me? It's Rapunzel. Your _captive _for the last fifteen years," Rapunzel spat.

"Wha- Rapunzel? What are you doing here?" The queen stumbled over her words in confusion, panic edging her tone.

"I'm here to see what a freud you are," Rapunzel called, "You have no right to sit on that throne, to where that crown."

"Oh?" Gothel rose, gaining control of her emotions and a trying to control the situation "And who are you to say so? Look at you, just a child. What are you besides a worthless little nothing?" a coldness was instilled in her voice.

"I am the true heir to the throne. You took my family and my home from me. You will not take away my kingdom." With that, Rapunzel turned to the crowd of people behind her and lowered her hood to the gasp of the crowd. Her cloak fell to the ground, releasing a tumble of unbelievably long golden blonde hair that fell in pile at her feet.

"I am the lost princess."

And with that, Nick and Elinor rushed forward. Nick threw something to the ground. There was a brilliant flash of a kaleidoscope of colors, and the three vanished.


	4. Ch 2: The Search for the New Guardians

**Chapter 2: The Search for the New Guardians **

Twenty Years Earlier:

The _STOMP, STOMP, STOMP_ of big black boots echoed through the hall as a large man with snowy white hair and a matching white beard, long enough to touch his belt, came down the hall. His heavy step was quickened by urgency. Yetis, elves, fairies, and people, all hurried to move out of his way. Nicholas St. North was the unofficial ring leader of the Celestial Order of the Moon, which meant if he needed to be somewhere important, it was probably something that lives depended on.

After navigating the labyrinth of the castle, the hulking presence of St. North made its way into a secluded room, hidden in the back of the castle. Through the doorway, a space opened up to room of a cavernous size. The domed ceiling arched high overhead, with a large opening at its apex letting in the glowing light of the moon. Though it was the only lighting in the room, the moon's beams illuminated most of the enormous room. The walls were lined with bookshelf after bookshelf, all packed with volumes of maps, legends, and research. Devices and instruments of peculiar shapes and various sizes stood throughout the room. In the center of the enormous room sat a large table, though rather small in relation to the size of the room it resided in. It was illuminated by the light of the moon spilling in and had a rotating steel globe set in the center of it. The table was scattered with maps and legends, books and notes, diagrams and sketches of exotic and strange places.

"Sandy, what is news?" Boomed North's voice as he strode towards the cluttered table.

A small chuckle came from the table in the middle, "Not really an appropriate name anymore, wouldn't you say, North?"

The voice had come from a short round man, clothed in a golden robe and standing at the table, pouring over the papers and maps. He had thick yellow hair that stuck up all over the place and small, pale yellow eyes behind a set of equally small spectacles. He had a kind face with rosy cheeks and an easy smile. Though not quite as old as Nick, the man was certainly no child. His actual age was difficult to place.

"Ah, I could say the same about you. Does zis look like North Pole?" North countered.

The small man let out another chuckle, "Old habits are hard to break, I guess," he said with a sad smile.

"Zat, they are my friend. But it is no matter. What do you have to tell me?"

"Oh, yes," the little man became excited at the prospect of sharing his discovery. He started riffling through the pages and notes on the table, referring to them while relating the information to the big guy. His excitement quickened his words, forcing North to keep up. "As you know, I've been studying the moon, and its movements, trying to get it to tell us something, anything. All the while still trying to decipher the prophecy. But, up until now I've had no luck."

"Vhat's changed?"

"Well, late last night, the Man in the Moon finally made a move. North, he's revealed the first protector from the prophecy," the Sandman said, letting the news sink in.

"Who is it? Where are they? Do you know?" North asked frantically, his urgency apparent.

"Yes, well yes and no. When the Man in the Moon revealed who this protector was, he used the crystal we brought from the Pole, so I only received an image," Sandy continued, holding up a sketch of a teenage boy. "But after research and communicating with our other branches using Tooth's fairies, I was able to find out just who he was and where he is. Being able to finally communicate with the Man in the Moon was a big help as well-"

"Well, who is it?"

"He's an eighteen-year-old boy, named by the Man in the Moon as Jack Frost."

"Eighteen?" Confusion crossed North's face. "But, zee prophecy-"

"Yes, yes, yes. I know. The prophecy says 'These four, found in youth,' which is conflicting. But, it is never specified as to exactly _what_ constitutes as youth, North. Weather it's talking of the youth of the mind, soul, body, or all three, is still to be determined. In addition to that, Jack isn't a human boy. At least, not any more. According to one of our sister bases, he died a couple of months ago, drowning in a pond. The Man in the Moon then resurrected him as a spirit, a winter spirit, with control over the winds and ice, similar to what you and I once were. Therefore, he was essentially _re-_born, throwing the whole 'found in youth' question into even further complication. Him being an winter spirit with control over ice also fulfills the fourth mentioned protector of the prophecy."

"But Sandy, if he is like us, how can he be protector? Vee lost our powers when Pitch became too strong. If zere is none to believe him, zere is no place for his powers to come from."

"Ah, you see, that's the thing, the Man in the Moon created a new kind of spirit with Jack Frost. He's essentially a New Guardian, chosen by the Man in the Moon. His powers don't come from the power of belief, like ours once did. It doesn't seam as if he needs to be known or believed in for them to work."

The Sandman stopped when he saw North pondering this news. "So are zee rest zee same? With powers and abilities. Are these protectors from zee prophecy 'New Guardians,' as well?" he asked Sandy.

Taken aback by this question, the Sandman did his best to answer, "Ahh, I'm not certain, really. It's hard to say. We don't know what these other protectors are supposed to be like. All we have is the prophecy and a few shaded hints from the Man in the Moon. But, if the prophecy stays consistent, then I think you right in assuming he's calling forth a new generation of Guardians," the Sandman let North contemplate this for a moment before moving on, "The boy does, however, seam to have an issue with others to seeing him if they don't believe he is not there."

"Believing is seeing..." North pondered aloud.

"Exactly! Now, that particular issue shouldn't be a problem for us, since we already know he exists. Moving on to location, he should still be in the roughly the same area as where he died and was brought back. Now here's the tricky part, it's overseas in a place called Burgess. And North, when I say overseas, I don't mean Norway or Spain. It's across the Pacific," Sandy spread a world map across the table, pointing out the location he was referring to, across the Atlantic. "I'm still trying to research and calculate a way to get you there, which is increasingly difficult since none of us can fly anymore, including the reindeer."

"Never mind zat, Sandy. I will handle it, just keep eye on him and let us know if zere is change," North said as he turned to leave.

"North!" Sandy called, the urgency in his voice getting the Christmas guardian's attention once more. "There's one more thing. Somehow, Pitch knows. And he's after him. You need to find him, before it's too late."

Nick's eyes widened at this last bit of information and turned back to run down the hall, his original urgency now doubled. He called out to a fairy near him, "Get Bunny and Tooth. Have them meet me in sleigh room and have yetis prepare for take off." as As the fairy zoomed off to deliver the message, he shouted at a nearby yeti, "Phil! With me!"

Man and yeti continued through the floors of the castle until they reached the lowest level. They came to a room even bigger than the Sandman's research room. It was located along one of the outer walls of the castle and was more of a stable than a room. On one side stood a row of stalls, each one holding an enormous reindeer and floored with straw. On the other side was a huge sleigh, matching the enormity of its pullers'. The sleigh, though still a cheery red, was tarnished and faded, its appearance shabby compared to what it once was. In the far wall, were set large wooden doors leading to the outside, big enough to let the sleigh through.

When Nick and Phil the Yeti arrived, the other yetis were already strapping the reindeer into the harnesses of the sleigh, readying it for take off. Just then, the Tooth Fairy arrived, carrying what was once the Easter Bunny in her arms. Calling Toothiana the "Tooth Fairy" didn't seam appropriate anymore, either, considering she had lost her feathers and her wings, along with her powers a long time ago.

"North," she called as she went to meet the large man and the yeti by the sleigh, "What's going on?"

"Manny has chosen zee first protector from the prophecy. We must find him before Pitch does," North answered as he started to pull on the black cord around his neck.

"Well then, what are we doing in here? We should be bloody out there looking for this li'l ankle biter," the tiny rabbit, held by Toothiana, called out in a Australian accent much too large for his size.

"The reindeer can't fly anymore can they?" Tooth asked as she placed the small rabbit on the edge of the sleigh, "What about the snow globes?"

"I have no snow globe for trip back. And no, the sleigh cannot fly. My powers are ca-put. But, I still have trick up shirt," he said with a wink of his eye and pulled out a pouch at the end of the cord from under his shirt. "It is moon dust," he explained. "I've been saving for long time. Manny gave it to me long time ago, said to save it for something important. I feed zis to reindeer, their magic is restored, at least for a while."

"Well, then what the bloody hell are we waiting for?" the tiny rabbit spoke up, "Let's go find this bugger, before it's too late!...That is if someone holds me while we're on this blasted thing," he finished, gesturing to the rickety red sleigh with concern.

"Wait a minute, where are we going exactly that we need to fly?" Tooth asked.

"Far across waters to land of Burgess, Manny says."

After all the reindeer were secured to the sleigh, North feed them each a small amount of moon dust. Phil, Santa, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny then all climbed into the sleigh as the yetis pulled the large doors open, revealing a warm, summer's night.

"Buckle up," Nick called back to an excited Tooth and a quaking Bunny, accompanied by Phil.

"Woah woah woah! Where are the bloody seat belts!" the rabbit called out in a panic.

North let out a booming laugh. "That was just expression!"

Suddenly, the sleigh was jerked forward as the reindeer began to move. They powered onwards, picking up speed until they had enough momentum to be lifted into the air. North let out a holler of joy as the reindeer neighed in excitement, both ecstatic to be in the air once more.

The four made their way across the ocean in record time. The reindeer brought them to just outside a small town, near the shores of a river. The town was filled with log houses and the scent of pine. One of Tooth's fairies, fluttering near her ear, assured them that the Sandman still had Jack's location pinned to this area.

The company of four advanced into the village, keeping themselves aware. They weren't quite sure what they were looking for, so they kept their ears and eyes alert. It was still night in the area, since they had followed the moon in their haste across the ocean. The darkness hindered their vision, giving them even more reason to be cautious.

It wasn't until they entered the village that they realized they were too late. The town was gone. All the buildings were either charred black, or burnt to the ground, nothing left but ash. Flames still fluttered in the night breeze in a few places. As they looked around, there was no one to be found, not even bodies or remains of the town's residents.

No one, that is, except for the large figure in the middle of the town square. As they neared, it became clear the figure was actually two people. One of them was tall and dark, a mocking smile plastered across his sickly face. In the Boogyman's arms was the limp body of a pale boy with a shepherd's staff and a shock of white hair. His eyes were closed, but the guardians were close enough to see that his chest was still rising and falling.

"Pitch! Put him down!" Tooth called out, concern for the boy edging her voice.

The black figure let out dark laugh, "And just how are you going to make me? You've no more powers. No more spells or magic. No believers, and no hope."

The power-less guardians and yeti stayed where they were, knowing they had little chance in a head on battle with Pitch.

"Leave him be, and we will not hurt you," North warned, the threat in his voice disguising the bluff as he held his two swords at his sides.

"I will say, I'm surprised you got here so fast," Pitch continued, ignoring the threat. "What did you have to do to pull that off? I mean, the sleigh no longer works and none of you can fly anymore, am I right?" The smile on his face said that he already knew the answer to the last question. "Well, it looks like it wasn't quite enough. You're too late. You've lost. Again. The only reason I'm even still here is to warn you to stop your pathetic scrambling. If you keep looking for these _protectors_ of yours, they'll only find the same fate as poor Jack here," he finished gesturing to the form in his arms.

"What are you going to do to him?" Tooth called out, the shaking in her voice matched the quaking of the rabbit in her arms.

"Now that, my guardians, is a secret." Pitch let out a dark laugh as the shadows surrounding them began to surge toward the two in the center. The shadows took on mass and became black sand that swirled around the pair, all the while the Boogyman's laughter grew louder and louder until it as almost ear-splitting.

"No!" North let out a roar as he charged towards the cloud of sand, only to be knocked back by the force of the vortex now taking up the town center. He was caught by Phil before he hit the ground. The rest could do nothing but look on at the swirling blackness before them. Then suddenly, it vanished.

And just like that, Pitch and one of the world's last hopes for peace, were gone.

* * *

Over the next decade, the Man in the Moon chose another guardian of the people. After years of anticipated waiting, the Sandman called North to his chambers once again, and revealed the identity of the second protector to be an eight-year-old princess from the Highlands of Scotland. Since there had been no sign of Pitch since the last revelation of the prophecy, North went to retrieve this chosen one from the kingdom of DunBroch on his own.

Though an official letter had been sent to the castle ahead of him, explaining the circumstances and identifying him as a member of the Order, North was still surprised to come across such resistance upon his arrival. He stayed for a week, trying to convince the king and queen to allow their daughter to join in the fight against the evil forces of the land.

The king and queen had both heard the prophecy, and though the king gave it no heed, the queen was much more open to believing such things. However, she was unable, or unwilling, to believe that her daughter was necessary in this fight. Since war had yet to befall DunBroch at that point, she had yet to see the evil and chaos thrust upon the world, and therefore thought the tragedies described in the prophecy had yet to occur. This meant protectors of the land had yet to be needed in her eyes, which included her daughter.

Over the next few years, North and the other guardians lead negotiations with the DunBroch clan to allow their princess to leave the kingdom and be trained by the Order. Even warnings about the threat of Pitch were not enough to convince the queen. Though she was now convinced her daughter was the one from the prophecy, she couldn't bring herself to let her daughter leave. She couldn't stand the thought of her daughter being hurt or killed in whatever horrid place the Order would take her. The queen believed that she was much more capable of keeping her child safe against Pitch and the evils of the world within the castle walls, than if she left her in the hands of a strange and mysterious order.

So, this child of legend, chosen to save the lives of thousands, was kept in the wintery lands of Scotland and raised to become a princess, ignorant of the Order and her place in it. The Order could do nothing. Sure, they could kidnap the princess, raid the castle, take her against her will. But, though they were desperate, such measures were inconceivable and represented the very evil they were fighting to extinguish. The guardians thought they were lost. Lost, that is, until the attack on the DunBroch castle. The queen realized that she could not protect her daughter on her own any more fled with her to the headquarters, relinquishing her consent to the organization.

The two Scotts were safe at the headquarters of the Order, its seclusion and magic protectorates secure enough to hide them from Pitch.

Since then, Queen Elinor of DunBroch dedicated her life to the order, helping with research and underground movements. Desperate to save what was left of her clan and to find what had become of the rest of her family, she worked her way to become North's right hand and co-leader. Unbeknownst to most, the queen was well versed in the practice of magic, which turned out to be a valuable asset to the Order.

All the while, the princess, Merida, was raised in the ancient stone castle of the Order by the its members and servants.

The guardians began going be different names, letting go of the memory of their long lost powers. They entertained the princess with stories and tales filled with magic about their adventures from before Pitch came to power. The Tooth Fairy, now Tiana and Sandman, going by his last name Snoozie, tutored her the ways of magic, the prophecy, and history of all the lands. Magic seamed to be the subject to interest the princess the most. The Easter Bunny, though reduced from his former height and glory and now called Aster, taught her weaponry and the strategies of battle. He helped her improve her use of sword and mace, things she already had skill with, having been taught by her father. The rabbit also taught her to use his weapon of choice, the boomerang. She had difficulty catching onto it at first, but mastered it as easily as the sword in the end. She always came back to her love of the bow and arrow, though, constantly practicing and improving her ability. The weapon somehow made her feel closer to her father, the fate of whom was still a mystery.

And this was how the princess of DunBroch was raised for a year, away from her kingdom, in a war torn world, being educated in magic and weapons. She gained solace in days without lessons or training, running through the wilds with her clydesdale, Angus. She gained joy from exploring the land and practicing with her bow. Through this excitement and adventure, though, Merida couldn't help but feel a certain loneliness. True, she had her mentors and the order had essentially become a new family to her, but there was no one in the castle her age. No one to explore with or talk to. Merida knew the prophecy and had heard conversations from the order members, so she knew there were supposed to be others like her. So where were they? Were they her age? Weren't they supposed to be trained, like her? Why weren't they at the castle, sharing in her adventures?

The truth was, the third protector had been chosen about the same time as Merida. The trouble was in trying to find her. The Sandman could not determine which continent she was on, mush less her exact location. Even with the Man in the Moon's help, it took years to finally determine where she was being held. It was as if she was guarded by spells and magic, like she was being hidden from the world.


	5. Ch 3: The Ember and Golden One

**Chapter 3: The Fiery Ember and Glowing Golden One**

Merida crept towards the room that the sound was coming from. She put her ear to the door and listened. There was definitely someone on the other side. Merida pulled away from the door, contemplating it, before putting her ear back, double checking the noise to make sure she was right. Yep, there it was: the sound of someone crying on the other side.

Merida put her small hand on the handle of the door and bit her lip. Mother had said not to go in the room, that someone was in there that shouldn't be disturbed. But, whoever they were, they were crying. That meant they needed help, right?

Merida held her breath as she turned the knob of the door and opened it a crack. She peaked around the edge of the door and into the room. The room was one of the standard bedrooms scattered throughout the castle, with a dresser pushed to the side and a bed with grey sheeting set in the middle. There, on the bad, sat a crying girl with gold hair long enough to trail behind her onto the bed and lay itself throughout the rest of the room.

Merida cautiously stepped into the room, which caught the other girl's attention. She lifted her head from her hands to look at the red haired girl.

"Who are you?" the girl on the bed asked, wiping at her tears.

"M-Mai name's Merida," she said, her voice uncertain. She hadn't seen someone her age in over a year, much less a crying girl, and was ignorant in approaching the subject.

"Rapunzel," the other girl offered.

"Why are yeh cryin'?" Merida asked bluntly as she approached the bed.

Rapunzel wiped her nose on her sleeve with a sniff before she answered, "I just found out my whole life is a lie."

"An' how's tha'?"

"Well, for one, I found out I'm a princess," the blonde girl said through her tears.

"Well tha' does nit sound half bad," Merida couldn't help but chuckle as she sat on the bed next to the other girl and was glad to see her attempt at a half-hearted smile.

"And found out that the person who I thought was my mother, the only person I trusted my entire life, she-" the blonde girl stopped as she began to dissolve into helpless sobs again. Merida waited patiently for the other girl to catch her breath long enough to finish, "She was the one who killed my real parents." And then she lost it. Rapunzel finally crumpled into incomprehensible bawling once more, whatever composure she had gained with the other girl in the room now demolished.

Merida reached an awkward arm around the other girl, letting her cry into her shoulder. And there they sat, the red head holding the crying blonde. Merida didn't know what else to do, didn't know how to console this stranger. So she just held her. It was about a half-hour before Rapunzel managed to cry herself to sleep in Merida's arms.

After she fell asleep, Merida looked down at the girl in her arms. She realized that the girl, when her face wasn't distorted by sobbing, was actually very pretty. Merida looked at the girl and wondered just who she was and what she was doing at headquarters. She thought of the possibility of them becoming friends and if that even _was _a possibility. And just what kind of friendship would it be?

_Wait a minute_, a wondering thought came to Merida's mind. Was this girl a new guardian, liker herself? She couldn't ask her mother. Then she'd know Merida had disobeyed her orders. She couldn't ask the girl, she might not even know herself if she'd only just arrived to headquarters. Merida wasn't sure if anyone else in the Order knew about the girl, so that option was closed, as well. Merida guessed she'd just have to wait until someone found fit to tell her the truth. Being an impatient person, this prospect infuriated the Scotts princess. But it was her only option. So, Merida decided to resign herself to silence until someone else brought up the subject.

Merida removed herself from under the other girl as gently as she could and made for the door. She took a second to turn around before leaving and contemplate the girl, now sleeping soundly. Merida wondered what the girl must've gone through in the last few hours to come to her realization. She wondered how it must've felt to discover something like that. She couldn't imagine waking up one day to find out both her parents were dead. Her heart went out to the girl. Merida felt a strong desire to protect the girl from experiencing such tragedies again.

* * *

Rapunzel awoke a few hours later to find herself alone in a room, the light filtering in dimming with the setting sun. Pascal was sleeping peacefully on the pillow next to her head. She felt the weariness and fuzzy headache usually following a hard cry. She looked around herself, gaining her surroundings and reminding herself that she was in an ancient stone castle, hidden deep in a forest somewhere north of her home kingdom.

She suddenly remembered the girl from before, how kind she had been. Rapunzel rubbed her sore eyes as she the scene came flooding back to her. How embracing! To meet the first person she came across in this new place while blubbering all over the place. Ugh. What must that girl- What was her name? Mericup? Meredith?- think of her? Probably that she was some child that couldn't handle the outside world, just like Mother had said.

Rapunzel stood up to look around her room. The first thing that caught her eye was a flash of gold. Her hair. Her lengthy locks snaked throughout the room, curled in corners, laid over the dresser and bed, scattered on the floor. Wherever she looked, there it was. The damned mane of fibers that was the cause of this entire disaster. It was because it, _her_ hair, that her parents were killed, that her kingdom was in ruins, and that she had been locked away by that witch for so many years.

She felt the new feeling of rage start to fill her chest again as she gazed at her own hair. She was so _angry_. Angry at her hair. When she looked at it, she saw Mother Gothel. She saw the source of everything that was bad in her world. Rapunzel started tearing the room apart, looking for anything sharp. She emptied the dresser, overturned the mattress, and flipped the bed's side table in her frustration. The commotion woke her chameleon friend who watcher her, his coloring a concerned orange. She looked everywhere. It wasn't until she started digging through the chest at the foot of the bed that she found what she was looking for.

Amongst the yarn and needles and supplies, sat a glistening pair of scissors.

* * *

An ear-splitting scream cut through the castle. Merida, who was sitting in her room, whittling at a bit of wood, straightened in her chair. Her systems instantly switched to high alert. She bolted from the room and down the hall, in the direction of the screech. It wasn't until she approached the source that she realized she was facing the same door as before. It was the room of the crying girl.

Merida tore open the door to find a startling scene. The room was a complete mess and Rapunzel was huddled in the middle of the floor in a state of hysteria. There were cuts in her hands and blood was splattered on her dress. A pair of silver scissors lay on the floor next to her.

"I can't cut it," she said to no one in particular with wide eyes and panic overriding her voice. "It can't be cut. It won't cut. My hair can't be cut."


End file.
